I just finished the first round of parent-teacher conferences for this year. They went really well. For the most part, families and children are happy at school and the children are excited about the activities I am inviting them to engage in. An increased or new-found interest in reading and writing were high on the… Read more

This year I will be teaching grade 3 for the first time EVER! I may have already announced that in another blog post, but every time I say it I get a little anxious. Just a little bit because while I’ve taught every grade from grade 1 to grade 8, I’ve never taught grade 3.… Read more

Tonight I’m having trouble finding words. I write not knowing where I will end up. I just know I need to start somewhere. So, I open up a blank page on my WordPress app and start writing. I take a chance and let the words spill on the page because once I start writing something… Read more

I’ve been thinking a lot about the topic of ageism. And even though I don’t feel comfortable revealing my age or how I’m currently feeling about the age I am, I need to start. The irony of this is that I never thought I’d be one of those people who would avoid any talk of… Read more

I have a little more than three weeks left of summer vacation before I go back to school. Normally I would be spending most of my summer in a combination of paid and unpaid professional learning activities. Although I had a few opportunities lined up that I was contemplating engaging in this summer, I quickly… Read more

Long time grade 3 teacher Erika McKearney Victor recently gave me some tips with regards to grade 3 reading. I will be teaching grade 3 in September and I’ve never taught grade 3. I’m feeling a bit nervous about what books to read aloud that will get students thinking about social justice issues, such as… Read more

This evening we celebrated my husband’s birthday. We were all there. My oldest daughter, her husband and their two children. My youngest daughter and her husband. My son. And me. In Chicago to celebrate another year around the sun for my husband. Tapas. Paella. Sangria. Yummy desserts. It was lovely. Now we’re back home. For… Read more

Today would have been my parents’ 68th wedding anniversary. A milestone! This got me thinking about other kinds of celebrations, such as birthdays, particularly my students’ birthdays. First, I have a confession to make: I am not the kind of teacher who makes a big deal about birthdays. Over the years, we usually sing happy… Read more

This snippet is not about writing, but about how I will protect my time to do what truly matters to me. This year I’m going to set firm boundaries between home and school. I know I say that every year, but this time I’m actually going to do it. I plan to leave twenty minutes… Read more

Writing workshop. We write. We read. We talk. We make lists. We draw. We share our stories. We ask for feedback. We give feedback. We make choices. We set goals. We nurture our community. We create. We collaborate. We make our writing public. We keep our writing to ourselves. Writing workshop. Cross posted to The… Read more